Alternative Energy
There are a variety of ways in which one is able to generate electricity that comes from an alternative source. For example, solar panels located on the roof will collect and store electricity. This power bank can be the entire source of electricity for a single family home. If the solar panels deplete their store of energy – your home immediately switches over to electricity from a traditional source to provide uninterrupted power.
There is also the use of wind and water power as a source of alternative electricity in many locations. A great deal of information can be found today on the internet to help you learn more about these providers of alternative energy.
The use of windmills in many states is now being seriously considered as an alternative source of energy. Also gaining popularity is harnessing the power of water to create energy through hydropower.
Each year we learn more and more about creating electricity from more environmentally green sources.
Outdoor Lighting
A huge area of wasting electricity that does contribute to polluting our environment is leaving light bulbs on and burning at home. Outdoor areas are the worst offenders – such as burning your porch light when the family is away from home for an extended amount of days.
We are not recommending going without home lighting – but it is not necessary to leave outdoor lights on 24 hours per day. Today, there are many attractive alternatives to look at.
There are many options today of using decorative solar powered lights along your dirveway. Some of the light fixtures are small while others can be more of a taller lantern style. It is completely up to the homeowner as to which design to consider when landscaping your exterior home.
Outdoor solar powered lights do not need to be plugged in or connected to an electrical grid – so you are free to place them on your property in the best desired position.
These solar powered lights collect energy from the sun during day light hours and illuminate your garden or yard as soon as the sun sets. When the sun rises – or the supplied solar power is exhausted, the lights simply turn themselves off.
As soon as sunrise the next morning – the lights once again begin collecting additional solar power for the next evening.
Another way to conserve more energy is to install a motion detector light. This type of lighting system does not need to be left on when you are not at home. When you arrive back home to your driveway, the motion sensor will activate the light for you to safely see where to park. The light then remains on for a short length of time before automatically turning itself off.
This will allow you to get out of your car and safely get inside your home with plenty of lighting around you.
Indoor Lighting
Are the types of light bulbs in your home causing issues with the environment? There is no shortage of retail locations that sell a more energy efficient, environmentally friendly light bulb. They are available for purchase in many different sizes that would fit all the rooms inside your house.
They are very practical – economically priced and any increase in cost will be offset very quickly by a savings in your monthly utility bill. You will find that cutting back on the amount of lighting you use is an easy goal to achieve.
Opening the curtains during daylight house to allow the natural light in would immediately cut in half the time you would need to turn on lighting in an occupied room. Turning on lights would be needed only during evening hours and on cloudy days.
The use of sky lights has also become a popular new feature in existing homes and in new home construction. A sky light will allow more natural sunlight to come in from above and also cuts down the use of electricity.
Many larger retailers will use this type of lighting as much as possible with dozens of sky lights on the roof tops of each store location. The next time you are in a big box retailer – take a look up overhead and check it out for your self. You will see that not many lights are being used at all. The lights in use are often the low level variety.
Use of skylights and the correct light bulbs will make a great and immediate impact on the electricity you use inside your home and you will also be helping the environment.
Wind Energy is Green Energy
Renewable energy is a great way to incorporate a greener way of life in to a community. Converting the power of the wind in to useable electricity is becoming an increasingly popular form of green energy.
Did you know that in areas where the wind can simply sustain an eight mile per hour breeze – a wind turbine can create useable electricity for a consumer? A wind turbine collects the wind that turns a series of blades. Connected to these blades is a rotor that turns the shaft of a generator. Connected to the generator is a set of magnets that rotate around a conductor.
Electricity is then produced when the magnets turn about the surface of the conductor. This electricity is interfaced to an electrical grid that distributes the electricity for others to use.
A wind turbine that is manufactured today can last up to twenty years. Consider a wind farm with a series of these wind turbines – Imagine all the free electricity that could be produced.
Many homeowners today are able to produce enough practical electricity from a wind mill that they build from a do it yourself wind turbine kit. The cost of this home improvement project is easily made up by the savings in utility bills that a home wind turbine provides.
The more we can learn about mass producing electricicty from the wind – the more we can become less dependent on foreign sources for our fuel.
>> Stop spending a fortune to power your home. Find out how to build your own wind turbine and harness the power of the wind to eliminate your utility bill. <<
Recycling at Work and at School
The idea of recycling can easily extend to your place of employment as well as the school you are enrolled in. You can start by getting this critical issue recognized by management or your school dean.
Often times you will find that people just need to be educated about the benefits reusing products. Other times a gentle nudge is all that is needed to start an effective recycling program. The information you communicate can motivate others in your workplace to join in the effort.
If you are teacher employed at a school – don’t underestimate the importance of getting the kids involved. Children get easily excited and join in when they know they are truly part of real life recycling drive.
These children – and the co-workers you work with – will then go home and hopefully get their own families involved in recycling.
Do you purchase products for your business? Buying paper products that have already been recycled is an easy way to show your support for these efforts. You may have noticed that there is a growing segment of break room supplies that are made from recycled paper content.
Do you eat lunch out when working? Other popular paper supplies that are recycled are fast food napkins and paper cups. More and more conscious fast food restaurants are abandoning the styrofoam cups that are so harmful to our planet. Give your business to green friendly businesses.
Another simple way to cut down on the use of paper products is to not use them at all! Start using reusable shopping bags the next time you are at the make a shopping run for your business or are at grocery. When they ask you: “Paper or Plastic?” – you can say, “Neither, I brought my own bags!”
TIP: Look for the durable shopping bags – They might be more expensive – but they will last years longer than a lighter weight version.
At ProjectGreener.com we know that it is a priority of yours to become more environmentally friendly inside your home. You have also let us know you would like to improve lifestyle and your family by purchasing and using more earth friendly products.
The problem is – that goal is not always simple to achieve.
At ProjectGreener.com we provide information and tips on ways to go green and where to purchase recycled and green products.
